It doesn't matter what sport it is. All you ever want is a chance. That feeling going in that you can win.
P.J. Walters and Scott Diamond have given that to the Twins each time they pitch.
With four of the projected five starting pitchers already are gone from the rotation, the Twins have struggled this season to get consistent performances from their starters. That's no secret.
It's also no secret that the Twins' prospects of winning improve because of the talented arms dangling from the respective shoulders of Walters and Diamond. Both were elevated from the minor leagues to make a difference, and they have.
Walters was exceptional in his last outing, guiding the Twins to a win over the Chicago White Sox. He became the first starting pitcher for the Twins to throw a complete game this season.
Diamond pitched the next game. He did some nice things but was undermined by three errors. He came away with his first loss of the season yet still has an earned run average under 2.00.
The Twins won five of the first six games during this most recent road trip. Walters got two of the wins and Diamond one of them.
Walters' complete-game win was the Twins' 15th victory of the season. At that point, Walters and Diamond had been responsible for five, or one-third, of the Twins' wins.
Whether they are fixtures in the Twins' starting rotation in the years ahead remains to be seen. But for now -- for right now -- they give the Twins that chance, that feeling, that hope of a win.
